Phineas and Ferb: The Thanos Imperative
by APersonOfManyNames
Summary: A month after the jarring ending of "Phineas and Ferb: The Thanos Objective", life is going as good as ever for Phineas and Ferb, and everyone else. Except Thanos, who had been cursed by the Phineas of the previous timeline to suffer in a literal hell for all of eternity. Now, by chance, Thanos finds himself on a perilous mission against fate itself, and those who seek to stop him.
1. Chapter 1

Intro

Deep within an invisible plain of existence, that resides within the bowels of the universe, one mad titan screams in pain. Every day, ravenous creatures roam to feed off him, shredding his now decrepit armor even more. At the end of each day he looks down at the putrid, molten ground with his black, void-like eyes, wishing for the sweet release of death. However, his fate was decreed, what feels like so long ago, by the one who wielded the power he once did.

This particular day he is graced by the presence of a dark lord, a dark lord whose astral body is vivid red, with a cape that looks to be a part of him. Thanos looks at him, the vile lord, trying to hold his head up by his own strength, which quickly shatters, fighting against his own efforts, but he continues. "Mephisto…" he mutters to the dark lord.

"I would have waited an eternity to claim you Thanos, but instead you were gifted to me. I have enjoyed this past earthly month, but already you are at wits ends, and many souls have been here for millions of earth years...I expected better." Mephisto mocks, his voice heard all around, within the ground and throughout the orange, fiery sky.

"Why tourture me mephisto?" Thanos asks with sullen breath.

"Because I like it. Long you have reigned above mere mortals as the mightest, and the most ruthless tyrant in the universe. And now I, Mephisto, will break you!" he laughs. Thanos has a spark of inspiration at that moment, a spark he will capitalize on.

"You like bragging rights? I can get you something that will give you all the bragging rights you _deserve,_ if you let me out of here." Thanos says with a repressed smirk.

"And what is that titan?" Mephisto questions, leaning in closer.

"A cosmic cube." Thanos utters.

"What would I need from a cosmic cube?" Mephisto questions this spontaneous plan, ever suspicious.

"You know exactly what you can get, access to the physical world, and the ability to corrupt all good souls that have ever, or will ever, exist." Thanos explains. Mephisto ponders quickly. "You know I'll get it, and I'll give it to _you_." Thanos nudges.

"A universe all my own...and countless lifeforms to be twisted to my will alone…" Mephisto pauses, looking at Thanos with his vortex-like eyes, Thanos staring onwards, unflinching.

"You have a deal…"

Chapter 1

Mechanical whirring is heard, followed by a giant platform being raised, green with white lines methodically placed and a net in the middle. Giant machinations, one on each end of the platform, stand ready for action. "And it's a go!" A voice is heard over a loudspeaker. A big ball launches up from beneath the platform through an opening, it flies up in front of one of the robots, which hits it with a racket, launching it to the other one, which has a black and grey line pattern, with the other robot having pink and white lines.

The ball strikes back and forth, each hit increasing in intensity, the rackets vibrating more and more with each hit. The black and grey lined robot strikes the ball, the pink and white lined one retaliates with a strike that has so much speed that the ball flies past the black and grey one. The ball immediately suspends itself in mid air, and is dragged back through the hole in the elevated tennis court.

"And the winner is, Isabella!" Phineas adds over the speaker.

"But that's not all for today folks, because up next is, Baljeet, vs...Ginger!" The robots' lines pulsate, changing colors. Ginger's side an orange and brown color, Baljeet's is deep blue and light blue. The match begins much the same, the crowd on high up bleachers cheering with a vibrant energy. The ball goes back and forth, just as Baljeet hits it, sending it towards Ginger, the whole platform, including the ball, bleachers, robots and rackets, disappear.

Everyone crashes down on the even, luscious green grass of Phineas's backyard. They all look around as the crowd gets up and leaves with smiles plastered on their faces. Phineas and co, sitting on the ground with their legs stretched in front of them, look at each other and unanimously giggle. They finish just as Phineas's sister, Candace, bursts through the gate with her mom in tow.

"Oh hey kids. Having fun?" Phineas's mom asks. They all say 'yes' at once with smiles on their faces. "Anyone want some pie?" She asks. They all decide together that they like that idea very much. "That was amazing Phineas!" Isabella exclaims.

"It really was, wasn't it?" Phineas says. Isabella smirking, she turns to Buford. "Sorry you lost." She says in an ever-sweet manner. "Eh, I'm better at squashing things anyway." he says as he slams his fist into his palm. Isabella's eyes widen, "Okay then…" she says, walking closer to Phineas.

"Don't worry Baljeet, I'm sure you would have won if it lasted a little longer." Ginger says.

"Oh I'm not very good at tennis, besides, you probably have a few dozen patches related to tennis." Baljeet says.

"Well actually…" Ginger begins to say, when she looks down at the ground. "There you are Perry." she says, Perry wanders up by Phineas, and his brother, Ferb.

"It could have been worse, we could have all fallen into a pit of lava with no chance of escape." Ferb states in his usual monotone way. They all sit and enjoy some pie, laughs are shared and amusing tidbits from the day are recounted. Everybody goes home as night falls. Phineas is tucked snuggly in his bed, his mind drifts off eventually. Perry sleeping on the bed with him, his brother sleeping in the parallel bed.

A muffled noise is heard, Perry's eyes open, he looks at his watch, it reading 'security breach', Perry puts on his dark brown fedora, standing straight up as he does so, and sneaks out of the room. He makes his way through the kitchen and into the backyard. He heads over to the tree, pressing a button to open up the panel, descending in the elevator.

He looks around the brightly lit, steel interior, his chair and the massive monitor. Seeing nothing unusual, he rubs his beak as he turns back around leaving. He gets outside to the calming night, only to get another breach warning, he runs quickly back to the elevator. Down again, only to see nothing, unusual. Perry huffs in frustration, throwing his watch on the ground and heading back up to get some sleep.

Day comes, Phineas, Ferb, and Perry wake up, the sun is as bright as ever. They eat their breakfast downstairs and head out to the backyard, sitting under the large tree leaves, leaning back against the tree's massive trunk, brainstorming.

"Ferb, I know what we're going to do today!" Phineas says with rampant enthusiasm. "We're going to make a giant catapult that will launch a person all the way across Danville!" They then set to work, but only after noticing Perry has disappeared. They build the frame of the catapult as Isabella walks in. "Watcha doin?" She asks in a coy manner.  
"Only building a catapult that is sure to give you, or anyone else for that matter, the best view of Danville!" Phineas exclaims.

"Cool! What can I do to help?" Isabella asks.

"We're going to need more volunteers." Phineas requests.  
"On it!" Isabella exclaims. Buford and Baljeet enter the backyard. Isabella soon returns with the rest of her Fireside Girls crew. "Found some volunteers for you Phineas!" She enthusiastically says.

"Great! We're just about finished here...and there!" Phineas says. "We're ready to go!"

Down below, unknown to them, the steel floors of Perry's lair shake, like they are beckoning to a higher presence. A rumbling sound of deafening proportion follows a portal of sorts, tearing open. Bone, muscle, tendon, flesh and even armor, they form into a hand that reaches through, then a foot, then, stepping through as a tear-like portal closes, is Thanos. He closes his eyes, breathing in deep, feeling the air around him. He breathes in literal, near-unimaginable sweetness, then a split-second later, he presses out all the air in his lungs to yell at a volume that fills the entire room. Joy has never been felt like this before. After some time, he collects himself, and seeing the elevator nearby, he walks towards it.

Phineas and crew cock the catapult, when a sound draws their attention. The tree opens up in the front, crouched down, Thanos gets out. They are all in awe. Thanos stands up, looking at the sun, he lets out a chuckle, then, a genuine smile. "Woah do you live down there?" Phineas asks, Thanos snaps a look that floods back so many memories, causing him to fly into a furious yell, backhanding the tree, obliterating part of it. Charging after Phineas when a portal opens up in their backyard.

Out flies a person in a grey suit with pink accents, firing blue energy blasts at Thanos, staggering him momentarily. He turns with a vicious glare, wrapping one hand around their entire body, and throwing them through the fence. Another person charges out with a shout from the portal, with pistons in place of hands on a grey and black suit. throwing a titanic punch, only to be effortlessly dodged and dropped to the ground by a hook from Thanos.

Another shows up with an energized mace on a chain, Thanos pestered, grabs the mace and throws the person out of the yard with a growl. Thanos's attention is drawn to the portal as a black and yellow colored, armored suit comes out, slightly taller than Thanos. It grabs Thanos and blasts him to the ground, continuing the bombardment, including subsequent blasts and punches.

"This is so cool." Phineas says, the person in the suit looks at him, long enough for Thanos to punch as hard as he can, the suit cracks in the middle, then suddenly it splits into two different, smaller versions and the cracks disappear. One attempts to go for a leg, only to get kicked through the tree, causing it to collapse in the backyard. The one directly facing Thanos is grabbed, with a furious yell Thanos grips into the suit, and pulls, making the person inside scream in pain, their suit rips apart, pieces fly everywhere, as the person falls helplessly to the ground.

Phineas realizes the danger, he jumps in front of the catapult in a spontaneous decision. "Hey, you want me? Over here!" Phineas waves down Thanos, who glares with bitter anger before charging with a mad fury. Phineas ducks out of the way at the last second, the catapult is released by Ferb and Isabella, catching and throwing Thanos far away. Another enters from the portal as it closes, weilding a bo staff "Where is he?" The person in the suit asks. Phineas looks down at the one who's suit got ripped apart, he doesn't believe his eyes as the person throws their familiar helmet off. It's him...but older!

The others fly in, next to the older Phineas. The one with pink and grey accents lands right next to him. The rest scattering around him. They look at the younger Phineas, and the rest of the crew. Their helmets fold back, revealing the older selves of everyone, including Candace, wielding a bo staff. They all give each other surprised and confused looks. "Well this doesn't make any sense…" Older Phineas speaks while looking at his younger self. He takes a look at everyone else. "You're all supposed to be dead…" A gulp of confusion is shared amongst them all.


	2. Chapter 2

**This is chapter 2, I plan on having five chapters total for this story, this story is the second part of a trilogy, I have another story planned unrelated to this, that will give a gap between this one and its sequel. At least once a week these will come out, perhaps more. And please, if you like this, or have some advice on how I can improve, leave a review, it is greatly appreciated. As always, Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

The sun, hanging high in the bright blue sky, beats down across all their faces, young and old; its rays bounce off the different suits, minding their own business. The older versions stare at each other, then at their younger selves, whos' reactions mirror theirs. Younger Phineas speaks up, prompted by the older Phineas's exacerbated words. "What do you mean, dead?"

"I...never mind." Older Phineas mumbles, he looks down at the bright green grass, not quite what his imagination led him to believe. "But...this doesn't make any sense. Did we get the wrong earth?" He mumbles to himself.

"Wrong earth?" Young Phineas's insides thrash around from sheer confusion. Older Phineas darts his eyes up to meet younger Phineas's. He goes to say something but is cut off.

"Look, long story short, we were monitoring this earth in case Thanos showed up here." Older Candace says in a monotone manner.

"Thanos? Is that who that guy was? And wait, you're saying you're from another earth?" Younger Phineas struggles to catch his breath, flat out failing to hide his most bewildered expression.

The sliding glass doors to the backyard open up, the older versions turn around, startling younger Candace, who begins to hyperventilate. With great effort she gets out a half-baked, "Phineas, Ferb, what is going on here!?"

"Well to be perfectly honest, we don't know." Older Ferb says. Candace's eyes fixate on his, not looking away until she moves next to the younger group.

"Well it seems all we do know is that some giant purple man–apparently named Thanos– is mad at us, and he's somewhere halfway across Danville right now…" As younger Phineas began speaking, Perry had just made his way to the fence, leaning close to it to get a better listen.

He takes a look at the carnage all around, his heart rate increasingly justly. He adjusts his hat and springs into action. Sneaking into his lair through another passageway on the side of the house. He collects a few items from the lair, a jetpack outfitted with missiles. With the gear in tow, he takes a few steps forward and flies out, the rumbling of the jetpack engines curdling his ears drums and vibrating his whole body.

"Anyway...we should start preparing for another attack, don't suppose you guys would care to help us with that?" Older Candace asks, gripping her bo staff tighter, not so much to give them a fright, as to give herself comfort.

"Sounds like a plan, and while we're at it, you guys can tell us all about where you're from." Younger Phineas says. Older Phineas's eyebrow raises itself upon the sentence reaching his ears.  
"Well it's the universe were you helped us ten years ago to overthrow Doofenshmirtz."

"Um...I think we'd remember something like that, you must be mistaken. We wouldn't forget something like that." Younger Phineas shakes his head.

"Then how come you came back to our house a short while after that? You seemed in dire straits...our dad told us what you said…"

"What did I say to him? Again, I think we'd remember if we travelled to another universe. Anyway, we will help you defeat Thanos, and maybe figure out why he hates me so much."

Meanwhile Perry soars through the sky, looking down below at a store, noticing some commotion, he swoops down to investigate. He quickly hides in an alley when he notices the absolute titanic frame of Thanos walking out, tossing aside a bone. Thanos continues walking down the street, solely in one determined direction. Perry launches out from the alley and strikes Thanos behind the knee. Thanos keeps walking, not noticing the attack.

Perry thinks quick, looking behind him, he sees a semi-truck, he runs over to it, hijacking it, sending it on a collision course with Thanos. Perry leaps out at the last second, it collides against Thanos, he nearly collapses to his knees, but he grips the semi's front and with a roar, flips it over. Perry sends a barrage of missiles at Thanos who is looking at the semi.

The missiles rock the ground, concrete hurdles out to all sides, flames soar in all directions, engulfing Thanos; who, after momentary stagger, stands perfectly straight up. The flames reside shortly, Thanos looks up, seeing Perry hovering there. "Ah, Perry the Platypus...trying to protect your family? You will fail." Perry charges in, releasing his jetpack, landing on the ground rushing under Thanos. Thanos throws a punch but Perry gets under him in time. Thanos turns only for Perry to leap on his back, Thanos reaches behind to grab him but with cat-like reflexes he evades it. Perry reaches the back of the neck, dodging more of Thanos's attempts to grab him. He lifts Thanos's helmet off, and performs a nerve strike to Thanos's exposed neck.

Thanos laughs at this, "cute trick, I have some of my own." Thanos turns his fist onto himself, a sort of energy forming around it, he smiles as a blast comes from his fist, swallowing his face, and knocking Perry right off and onto a sidewalk. Thanos walks over to his helmet with a smile, puts it back on, takes one look back at Perry and continues onwards.

In the backyard, the gang from both worlds work to craft a new suit. "So, what's it like being an adult?" Young Isabella asks her older self.

"Well, it's generally a lot more peaceful than this, but, between me and you, I'd go to the ends of the earth if need be for Phineas, I mean, my Phineas."  
"Yeah, same. I mean, for my Phineas of course. This whole thing is confusing." Younger Isabella says.  
"Really? Huh, maybe you'll get lucky and you two will find each other some day, like we did." Younger Isabella's surprise is swept away as her eyes widen and her cheeks flush with blushness at the thought...

"You two are together!?" Younger Isabella snaps out nearly loud enough for both the younger, and older Phineas to hear. It barely breezing past their ears.  
"Why yes, it surprised us both to be honest, but he is the dreamiest, truly no one else like him."

"Yeah..." Younger Isabella smiles, retreating back into her head, dreaming of a life with Phineas that is all flowers, sun, and bliss.

The gate opens, a turquoise shirt wearing teenager walks in. She sees the damage, the fallen tree and the full extent of the broken fence, her eyes widen instantly. "Woah, what's this?" she asks.

"Stacy?" Younger Candace runs up to her, Ginger does so as well. "So glad you're here." Candace says.  
"Yeah it was crazy Stacy, there was this giant purple man and he fought these doppelgangers from another dimension, and smashed the tree with one hand!" Ginger says in a semi-frantic manner. Stacy tries to suppress her bewildered feelings.

"And what are you still doing here? Go home! It's obviously not safe!" Stacy blurts out on pure impulse.

"Really? Look at what they're doing?" Ginger throws her hands out in the direction of the rest. "I have to help them."

"Uh uh, not going to happen and that's final." Stacy thrusts her fists against her hips.

"But…" Ginger pleads.  
"Go home!" Stacy says with a stern extension of her arm and pointer finger, directed away from the house. Ginger's shoulders slump over as she walks out. Younger Isabella and Older Isabella see this. They both go up to Stacy.

"Ms. Hirano, with all due respect Ginger should be a part of this. She's a Fireside Girl, she's tougher than you think." Younger Isabella says.  
"Look, if you were in charge of looking after a younger sibling, you'd do the same thing." Stacy argues. 

"I understand that completely, but with all due respect, Isabella here has run her own contingent of 'Fireside Girls', she knows what it is to look after someone. Now, there's two of us to look after her, three, if you want in. And with her separated, this Thanos could easily target her, especially her…" Older Isabella sucks her lips in, cutting herself off too late. Her heart skips a beat.  
"Especially her? What is that supposed to mean?" Stacy huffs.  
"Okay...ten years ago, we had visitors from this earth, Phineas, Baljeet and Ginger. Those were the only ones, now, the way we heard it…" She looks down at her younger half, who is intensely listening. "they were the only ones to survive whatever Thanos did. Now, I don't know what happened, and why everyone is alive, and I'm grateful you guys are," she looks down at younger Isabella again, "but if Thanos has anything to do with it, chances are that he will be looking to come after those who survived whatever he had done. Now, none of this makes any sense I know, but the safest place for Ginger is here."

"Okay...fine, I'll bring her back here." Stacy says.

"Let's all go." Older Isabella says.  
"Alright…" Stacy surrenders. Candace, both Isabellas and Stacy leave the yard, the younger Baljeet rushing to them. "Wait for me!" He exclaims.

The older Phineas looks at him with a wide smile, remembering the times before.  
"What?" Younger Phineas notices older Phineas's gleaming expresion.

"You guys don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"That time you and your brother came to our house and told us about the wonders of summer?"

"Uh...no. We never visited your world. I thought we went over this..." Younger Phineas says with a flustered tone.

"So we did, sorry, I still don't understand..." Older Phineas shakes his head.

"Some things we just can't understand, we usually, well, we just roll with it." Phineas says.  
"'Just roll with it'?" Older phineas retorts, surprised at the sentiment.  
"Yeah, as long as we are with friends and family, the world will never overtake us!" Younger Phineas says.

"Simply amazing you are." Older Phineas sighs with amazement. "Never change." Younger Phineas smiles, finishing up the last piece of the suit.

Meanwhile, Thanos stomps about the streets, Perry awakens a block away, his eyes narrow, he gets up and straightens his hat. He looks at his watch and presses a button, sending signals all across Danville, various animals read a message on their watches, quickly putting on their own fedoras. Perry presses another button, he starts walking, each segment of concrete he passes methodically, zoning it in, then looking straight ahead, he hears a sonic boom behind him; he jumps, suddenly a fur-tight suit latches onto him from behind. And instantly, rocket exhaust streams out of webbed boots, sending him soaring into the air. His suit locks onto Thanos, he kicks the power up a notch, catching to Thanos quickly.

Thanos continues walking undisturbed, when suddenly a kick flies across his face, with little affect. Thanos turns and looks down, seeing a Panda with a fedora, standing straight up, smaller than a typical one of his species. "Ah, Peter the Panda, did Perry call in reinforcements?" Thanos swings, Peter dodges, Thanos is suddenly lunged at by a chihuahua; Thanos quickly throws them off. "Ah, Pinky, I wonder what Isabella would think if I crushed your weak body in front of her." Thanos moves in when he is grabbed at every inch by all types of animal agents.

Perry swoops in from behind, striking hard to Thanos's head, rocking him slightly, taking the helmet off as he does so, it crashing to the ground with a violent smack. Coming back around for another strike, Perry hits Thanos with as much strength as he and the suit can muster, in the nose. Thanos simply smiles. Perry strikes the back of the head and swoops in again for the face, when beams come from Thanos's eyes, stopping Perry's momentum, the suit extinguishes the flames as Perry shrugs off the singing burn he feels on his shoulder. As he gets up, Thanos glares at all the other animals with a delighted, devious, smile; he lets energy flow into him, it courses throughout his entire body. He grits his teeth and shouts as a burst of energy from him blasts all the animals away.

Perry gets up quickly, blasts from his paws distract Thanos as he flies up into the air locking onto him, swooping down, Perry blasts as much as he can at Thanos, crashing into him. Perry gets up first, thrashing at Thanos's head, the suit's energy core at such a level that major warnings flash in his HUD, but Perry trudges through the blaring warnings and crashes down repeatedly upon Thanos. Thanos tries grabbing him, only to be dodged and struck once more.

Thanos gets up, Perry tries flying back but Thanos grips him tight by the tail of the suit tight enough that Perry feels his tail being crushed. Thanos flings Perry hard at a skyscraper, creating an energy blast that hits Perry mid flight, propelling him even harder, crashing through concrete and glass, landing inside the building with enough force to cause several metal beams to jut out and spill into the interior. Thanos leaps through concrete into the building, towering over Perry, who slowly tries to back up. Thanos retaliates against this slight movement by gripping Perry tight, punching him repeatedly, finally chucking him effortlessly across the room. Perry skids on the ground. Thanos looks at him, first with a vacant look, then, with a smile. Perry looks down, seeing a piece of metal sticking out where it shouldn't–in his side–he tries grabbing it, but his muscles fail him, blood seeps out from the cracks in the suit.

Thanos walks towards him in a methodical manner. He looks at Perry, giving a subtle nod with his head. "I respect you. You have conviction, a much lacking quality." Thanos then leaves as Perry looks on, unable to move, only able to let out wails as Thanos walks away. Thanos lifts his helmet off the ground, securing it back on his head like one would a crown. Finally free, he walks on.

Stacy opens the door to her house, walking to Ginger's room. She knocks on the door. "What!?" Ginger shouts in a pouting manner from behind the door.  
"It's just me…" Stacy begins to say. The door opens almost immediately, Ginger peaks her head out, seeing the others, Baljeet especially, changing her expression to look more cheery.

"Look, I only told you to come back here because I care for your safety, but, I understand you want to help your friends so I'm allowing it. But I'm coming along."

"Okay, cool!" Ginger says, walking past them all and out the door.

"Wait for us!" Stacy runs after her, the others following suit.

They stop running on the sidewalk, keeping a casual pace with each other. "So, why'd you come along Baljeet?" Ginger inquires with furtive hope.

"Well, I just wanted to be a good friend, besides, they were just about done. I wasn't needed anymore." Baljeet says.  
"Oh don't say that, you're always needed." Ginger says. Baljeet chuckles.

"So, what do you think of that older you? The one with the bo staff." Stacy asks Candace.

"Its weird. If mom and dad weren't on vacation, they would be all busted for sure." she says.

"Well don't act like that now, we have bigger problems to deal with." Stacy scolds.

"I know, I know…" Candace mumbles. They turn a sharp left, heading back into the yard. They wander back amongst the crowd. A loud boom deafens them, most are knocked off their feet as pieces of fence fly all over.

Older Phineas puts his suit back on as the rest charge in, Thanos easily overpowers them all. Older Phineas charges in and is backhanded to the ground. "A real battle would crack you like an egg. No wonder why you needed a different you from another dimension to save you...poor excuses for warriors." Thanos leans in closer, pressing down on the suit, denting the ground underneath.

"Hey!" Thanos turns his head. "Phineas Flynn…" Thanos holds back an impulsive growl, gritting his teeth. He grabs Older Phineas by the head and throws him away. "You want answers to what's going on?" Thanos smirks angirly, trying to keep his arms from wrapping around Phineas, and crushing him. Phineas looks on in terror, trying to keep composure, but backing up slightly. Isabella grabs hold onto Phineas's arm, Thanos chuckles in vindictive amusement. "I'll explain…"


	3. Chapter 3

**This came out much later than I had intended, it was supposed to be out last week but stuff got in the way, but it's finally out and the second to last chapter should see no such delay. Hope you enjoy this, it is a much slower chapter, but it's sure to surprise you. But not nearly as much as chapter 4 and 5 which are sure to have you on the edge of your seat. So, without further ado, enjoy.**

Chapter 3

"That...that's just crazy, that isn't true." Phineas says, his head sinks down. "I would never...he must be lying!" He earnestly mutters to himself. Older Phineas walks off into the house, older Isabella follows with a worry most extreme plastered all over her face.

"To be fair, you from another timeline isn't _you_." Ferb says, putting his hand on Phineas's shoulder. Phineas jerks his shoulder away.

"Whatever." Phineas storms out of the yard. Ferb looks on, sighing.

Younger Baljeet stares sideways at the ground, his head shaking slightly. His older counterpart approaches him.

"What's troubling you?" Older Baljeet asks.

"What do you think! Apparently I died losing my head! My head!" Younger Baljeet begins hyperventilating.

"That won't happen. The same circumstance happening is mathematically impossible...most likely."

"But...my head!" Younger Baljeet keeps rubbing it.

Younger Candace wipes sweat off her face, she looks down at her stomach, looking away just as fast. "There are worse ways to go..." Older Candace tells her.

"But...Jeremy!" She exclaims.

"Relax, it is probably just a scare tactic to throw us off our game. Keep your head on straight."

"At least I got to keep it. And that monster turned Phineas into something he's not! My brother is many things but he isn't a murderer."

"I've seen circumstances change people, molding them into who they wouldn't be otherwise. But I'm not judging, just focusing on the goal." Older Candace informs.

"Was that supposed to help?" Younger Candace asks with a scoff.

"Well...maybe." Older her shrugs her shoulders.

"Well it didn't." Younger Candace crosses her arms.

"That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. I would never choose Phineas over Baljeet." Ginger wipes a single tear from her face.  
"I'll never let something like that happen to you. Not in this timeline, or...whatever. I won't let it happen to you." Stacy tries consoling her, placing her hands on Ginger's shoulders, kneeling down to get onto Ginger's level.

"Man, that's cold, Phineas doing something like that, never would have thought…" Buford shakes his head. "What a shame…"

"If you want my opinion…" Older Buford interjects.

"I really don't." Younger Buford snaps.

"But.." He can't even finish before Younger Buford responds firmly.

"Nope." This makes older Buford become vexed–this most heinous display of utter rudeness unspeakable.

"You are a disrespectful little runt you know that?" He snaps.  
"Oh really? I don't remember asking for your opinion." Younger Buford retorts. His older self takes one long look at him, almost like he's peering into his very being.

"Ha, guess you didn't." He walks off, leaving younger Buford with a smirk, that quickly fades away as he picks up a piece of the broken picket fence.

Inside the house, Older Phineas splashes water on his face, he hears the bathroom door open.

"What?" He grumbles.

"I want to make sure you're okay honey, you seemed to stomp off in quite a rush." Older Isabella says.  
"I should be asking you that..?" He hangs his head over the sink more, not looking at her.

"Well, obviously it is startling news, but I'm more worried about you." She sees a brief smile across his face.

"Oh you're so wonderful." He stops leaning over the sink, walking up, he plants a kiss on her and hugs her, warming her heart so much it may very well rival the sun in temperature. She passionately returns the hug, letting out a bittersweet tear. Thinking if it could be their last hug.

"Promise me you won't lose yourself if I don't make it."  
"Don't even say that, you'll be fine." He frantically speaks.  
"Just…promise." She pleads, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"I promise." He says. They rock each other in a soothing manner.

"I wonder what our younger counterparts are thinking…" Isabella's voice heavy.

"I think they're in some deep…" He gets cut off.

"Don't say it!" Isabella chuckles.

"Alright alright. But they're going to need some help…" He lets out a sigh, full of the pain that aches his being, that nothing can be done about.

"What is it?" Isabella asks, looking up at him.  
"It...it just makes too much sense." He says.

"What does?"  
"What he...What Thanos said. The timeline was fixed, but the artifact only affected this universe, makes sense what my dad said, and that's why they're young, and we're..well, old."

"Heh, we're only eighteen, that's not that old."  
"Heh, true." Phineas chuckles. He thinks a bittersweet moment, as they share in the silent embrace. "Anyways, I think we should go help them out, you take your younger self and I'll take mine." Phineas speaks up. They let go of each other with smiles adorning their faces.

"Sounds like a plan." Isabella says with enthusiasm, they leave the bathroom.

Isabella sees her younger self in the yard, sitting down by the tree and seemingly staring off into the far reaches of space, despite stars not being in the bright blue sky. Phineas looks around, not seeing his younger self. Phineas walks up to both the ferbs. "Where'd Phineas go?"  
"He left the yard in that direction." Older Ferb says.

"I gotta go after him." He says, taking a step forward with energized legs.

"Mind if I come along?" Younger Ferb inquires, his voice as smooth as paper, and as pleasant as flowing honey.  
"You're very welcome to." He says.

"You coming?" Younger Ferb asks his older counterpart.

"I'll stay here, it'd be simpler on him anyways."  
"Good point. C'mon, lets go." Phineas says. They both swiftly leave the backyard.

"Isabella, hey…"Older Isabella says.

"What?" She doesn't look at her, instead staring straight ahead, off into space.

"I just wanted to check on you…"

"Check on someone else. Leave me be." Younger Isabella snaps.

"You don't actually…" Older Isabella begins to say.

"Get lost, you heard what he said. There's nothing left for me. It was all ruined. He...he...he never loved me..." Younger Isabella wipes tears away.

"Phineas Flynn? The one you've had a crush on, the one who includes you in all your little inventions? One who...well, It didn't sound like that to me…" Older Isabella says.  
"Oh really? Like you would know...You got everything you ever wanted."

"It wasn't some yellow brick road I walked to get to where I am. Sounded like he went to the end of the world for you..."

"If he loved me...he would never have done what he did." Younger Isabella tells her older self in a most stubborn defiance.

"And who says Thanos is telling the truth? He's seems to be nothing but a cold blooded manipulator." her argument weakened.  
"But...it all makes sense." Older Isabella bites her lip at the sudden deja vu lapse following that very statement.  
"Well…" Her heart sinks, having to do what she's about to do; be so direct and blunt. "See it from a different perspective: you all helped us overthrow a dictator, you got your minds erased, Thanos comes along, gives you all your memories back, then, not a moment later he rips it all from Phineas, rips YOU from Phineas. Don't you see how that could affect someone?"

"He betrayed me, doing those things. If he loved me truly, he wouldn't have had a child with Ginger of all people, then just kill them?" Younger Isabella snaps a look at her older self, dried tears all over her face.

"Well...do you see that Phineas anywhere?" Older Isabella retorts.

"Huh?" Younger Isabella stammers, trying to hold back a fresh tear, the thoughts and accumulated visions and interpretations buzz in her mind like a rabid swarm of bees.  
"I mean, he reverted everything back, that Phineas is gone. Seems to me he gave his younger self a chance at life, so he would never have to experience what he did, never be tainted by the things he had to do." Older Isabella says.

"He shouldn't have sunk that low." Younger Isabella mumbles.

"It isn't your Phineas though, this Phineas, yours right now, he will never be that Phineas." Older Isabella ensures.  
"But he would have been…"  
"But HE ISN'T. Love isn't a one way street, not everything is sunshine and rainbows and magical unicorns coming to take you away to a perfect gassy field, it's real, the sooner you wake up the better!" Older Isabella thrusts her arms out in frustration, baring her teeth as she does so.

"Screw you!" Isabella storms off and out of the backyard. Older Isabella groans, she strikes the tree with pent up fury. Her head comes to rest against its bark. Shortly after she slides down the tree, in much the same position as her younger counterpart.

"No luck huh?" Older Candace comes up to her.

"It's a fickle thing, love." Older Ferb chimes in.

"What is even going on anymore?" Isabella holds back tears with all her conscious might.

"We have to stop Thanos and keep everyone together." Older Candace says.

"I...I...know…" Older Isabella sighs.  
"It will be alright." Older Ferb kneels down, reaching his hand out. She grabs it and drags herself up.

Meanwhile Older Phineas and the younger Ferb comb the streets for any sign of younger Phineas.

"Any idea where he could have gone?" Older Phineas turns to younger Ferb.

"None, if he doesn't want to be found, I doubt we will." he says.

"Well we have to find him." Older Phineas says, gazing ahead.

"Agreed, though he definitely won't like us trying to reach him. At least initially."

"I know that very well; believe me, but we must."

"Suppose you would." Ferb says. Older Phineas hangs onto those very words, from it he gets a fountain of inspiration.  
"That gives me an idea! Ferb, we got to make a quantum entanglement device! We're two of the same person, on the same earth, theoretically we must have some connection that we can't automatically access, and if my intuition is correct, I can see what he sees, and get a location!"

"So, you'd say you know what we're going to do today?" Ferb smirks, looking up at him.  
"Why yes, yes I would!" Ferb smiles far and wide at this remark.

Wasting no time, they find the materials they need, and with some borrowed tools they create a headband with interwoven electrical circuits with quantum circuitry funneling that electricity. Its appearance is much simpler than its layout and purpose would imply.

"Well, let's put it to the test." Older Phineas flips it in his hands, he puts it on his head. As soon as he does so, his eyes snap shut, as if pulled down by some unseen force.

He 'sees' something he wasn't looking for, almost as if his signal was intercepted. He sees a clearish blue square shaped object, hovering in a fully transparent cylinder, he hears heavy clanking, like footsteps on grated flooring, and muffled breathing all around. Almost buzzing like bees. The cube begins to light up. Suddenly he sees a sign for a café, hearing echoing footsteps, the image then tilts down, revealing blue shorts. Suddenly older Phineas's vision returns, seeing Ferb standing in front of him. "I know where he is, come on." They start heading immediately for his location.

Meanwhile Younger Isabella fumbles with a familiar door handle, she forces it to open. Her shoulders slumped and her posture sunken down and pushed forward. She plops on her bed, staring at the oh so tranquil flat surface and color scheme. She starts to doze off into her head, snapped out of it when the door opens. She quickly turns her head to the side, almost a piercing pain manifests in her side when she sees Ginger standing in the doorway, looking so apologetic and sorrowful..._pfft_.

"What do you want?" Isabella grits her teeth.

"You headed off in quite a hurry, wanted to see if you were alright."

"So I appeared distressed to you? You've come to my 'rescue'? How noble of you Ginger."

"What's that supposed to mean?" A thought hits Ginger harder than a wasp sting. "You can't possibly think…"

"What?"

"That Thanos was telling the truth. It was clearly a lie."

"My whole life is over now." Isabella wipes a tear from her face.

"Don't talk like that, what he said doesn't matter. It never happened. The other Candace said it was probably meant to throw us off our game. Make it easier for him. But he won't win!"

Isabella sits up, dangling her legs off the end of the bed, looking Ginger in the eyes with eyes reminiscent of puppy dog eyes, they turn away, coming back at Ginger with the look a viper. Ginger's heart beating a bit faster.

"Sounded to me like he already did…" Isabella snarks. Ginger walks up to her, a moment of silence thrusts itself into the room as they lock eyes, Ginger holding back tears, started purely from the look Isabella is giving her. Suddenly a stark sound ruptures in Isabella's ear drums and her hand instinctively covers her cheek as redness from a most vicious slap forms.

"You're Isabella Garcia-Shapiro! Not a coward! Now man up and let's get back to the others because Phineas needs us...needs you!" Isabella lets out a huff, she leaps off the bed and shoves Ginger to the ground,

"Obviously not when he has you!" Ginger gets up, her heart pounding in a frantic attempt to escape her chest. Isabella shoves her back down, she lands harder than before.

"What are you doing?" Ginger cries out.

"If it's not me it will just be someone else, I thought we were meant to be together! But that was just a lie. Just a lie! Just...a...lie…!"

"It wasn't...isn't…" Ginger shakes her head, hesitant to push herself up. Isabella drops to the floor, her back resting against the side of the bed.

"I...I wish I believed you…" Isabella shakes her head, looking off to the side.

"You'll come around Isabella, trust me. Sometimes...it just takes a little while." Ginger looks to her fingers spread out on the floor, her palms pressing against the ground, she shifts her feet to put her in the standing position, looking at Isabella. She lets out a pressured smile, reaching her hand out. "Come on, let's get back." Isabella sighs at this. Her hand reluctantly flapping to Ginger's, gripping it, she is drug up by Ginger. They leave the house.

"We good?" Ginger asks.

"I suppose." Isabella replies. They step out of her room, and begin walking back to Phineas's house.

Meanwhile the older Phineas and younger Ferb find the younger Phineas walking along the street. "Hey Phineas, wait up!" Older Phineas shouts his feet fast towards younger Phineas, catching up before the processing could be complete. Younger Phineas looks at him with fiendish eyes. "How'd you guys find me?" He snaps.  
"With this…" Older Phineas puts his hand out, showing the headband.

"So you two make quite the pair huh? Don't see then why you need me."

"We need you because we can't do this without you, we need you because you don't deserve to be by yourself. You have done nothing wrong, who cares what Thanos said. What matters is who you are right now." Older Phineas exhausts himself.

"I know that...I couldn't have done those things But still..." He retorts.  
"I get you might want some time to process, but we need you now, more than ever. Come back with us?" Ferb smiles and puts his hand on Phineas's shoulder, Phineas doesn't jerk his shoulder away, lets out only a sigh. "I suppose." He lets out with utmost reluctance.

A short while after they find themselves back in the yard. Everyone stares at them with a variety of looks. From the sad, and sympathetic, to the straight up furious. Younger Phineas stands there, being drained of all life, that life being sucked out by the environment, the people, and his own darned self. Older Phineas notices this, and being keenly aware of everyone else, makes a decision.

"Alright, look, I hate to put everyone on the spot right here, but stopping Thanos is priority number one, so, you are going to either be with us, or not. We all have our opinions on what Thanos said, but we can't afford all this bouncing around, we need to stand together. So, whoever's with us, line up here." Older Phineas commands. He walks in front of the sliding glass doors, his back to it, facing forward at everyone else. Younger Phineas walks up next to him with Ferb in tow. Without hesitation, all the older ones walk up next to them. The younger versions stare, on, hesitation, not so much as sprinkled, as plastered all over their faces.

The younger Candace walks over, "Come on guys, what's the point." She gestures the rest to follow her. She stands in line, looking back to see everyone just standing there. "Come on, what...what are you guys doing?" A streak of visible sweat trickles down both sides of her face. "Can't force them if they don't want to." Her older counterpart says, her bo staff snug against the grass.

The younger Buford and Baljeet look around, Baljeet hesitant to move.

"Eh, dinner bell's been mostly good to me...come on dweeb." Buford picks Baljeet up, and carries him to the line. The attention turns to the last three, Stacy, Ginger and Isabella. Ginger looks at Baljeet, almost donning a smile, but simply doesn't. Though she can't help but think of doing so every single time she looks at him. To that end she gently elbows Isabella to get her attention, gesturing her to move forward and integrate in the line.

Isabella doesn't move, Ginger huffs, "Fine, be that way, guess our whole talk was for nothing."

"Yeah yeah." Isabella grumbles. Ginger turns to look at Stacy with puppy dog eyes.

"What?" Stacy snaps. Ginger doesn't relent in her stare, Stacy bites her lip. "Oh fine." Stacy walks up next to Ginger. As Stacy turns to line up, everyone begins to stare at Isabella. She shyly glances up, darting her eyes amongst everyone in the line except her Phineas. His older self looks at the older Isabella, a shared unnerving feeling courses through their veins, near paralyzing them. Older Isabella puts her head down, out of peculiar shame.

Younger Isabella's eyes turn back to that of a viper's as she looks up to scan most everyone. "What are you all staring at? You sit in judgment of me? It's him you should sit in judgement of!" She thrusts her finger towards the younger Phineas, not looking his way.

"Every day of my life has been a lie! But I see the truth now! The truth none of you want to face because you're all cowards! Well I'm no coward!" Ginger takes a gulp in, which stings almost as much as her entire nervous system does from that statement.

"None of this will amount to anything! You all think it will, but no...I know the truth...all these useless inventions made in this very back yard, all this 'fun', with family and friends...just a bunch of lies! I'M OUT!" She storms out of the backyard, sending the gate crashing against the fence as she slams it with the fury of years of passion having gone up in flames.

They all stare in that direction, that one gate, younger Phineas shakes his head, every muscle in his face straining in utter confusion. His brother puts his hand on him, patting it slowly, gently. The only thing he can do is slump his shoulders and sink his head as low as possible.

Meanwhile, a distance away, an elevator dings, the doors open, a lab coat wearing, Heinz Doofenshmirtz steps out, He looks to his left, noticing a blasted out section of the building wall, and glancing slightly downwards, enters his vision is Perry; stuck on a piece of metal, not moving, just like a pig over a fire.

"What happened?!" He exclaims, grabbing hold of Perry, taking his hands off, the metal beam holding Perry tight. He backs up, he then looks up, thinking of just the thing that could help. "Hold on there, I'll save you." He rushes back into the elevator smashing the buttons as he looks up, and paces. Meanwhile a slight twitch springs up in one of Perry's fingers, his hand then twitches right into a fist, which is consciously clenched with all his might.


	4. Chapter 4

**This is the second to last chapter for this story, I hope you enjoy its (hopefully) delightful contents, and if you're anticipating more updates/chapters, remember to click to be notified. And without further ado, enjoy!**

Chapter 4

_Streets of Danville_

Isabella shuffles her feet along the sidewalk. A calm breeze blows past her face, while the noise of traffic deadens her auditory senses. She takes a pause to look up towards the sky, which is as clear as ever, she resonates with this bright blue image most intensely. Almost as if they sky is a brother in arms with regards to her feelings, though, at the same time, she thinks it should be more cloudy. "Yeah, that's it." Imagining those foggy, massive moisture blankets, she smiles. She continues walking, no particular destination in mind, her smile fades into nothingness.

Her feet keep on moving forward, but before long, her small feet stop where they are. Her eyes fixed on gazing upon an all encompassing shadow on the ground. She looks at the thing from which the shadow originates, thick-bear like legs, ornate golden colored metal adorning them. Slowly, she raises her head, her eyes scanning the figure before her. The intricately designed gold-colored armor, worn by the figure, is as intimidating as it is encompassing. Her neck muscles strain, reaching her head high to see the face, the helmet, all of it. His eyes threaten to peer into her soul. Isabella fails to divert her eyes, as though some unknown force keeps them locked in a singular motion as Thanos goes down on one knee.

"You look troubled little one." His voice, deep and immense, makes one question their livelihood if ever they chance hearing his voice. Staring at Isabella, a grin forms on his face. Its nature, the exact opposite of divine. A morbid curiosity grips her, making that pious grin, ever so intricate, and to be examined for everything it's worth. The other parts of her, that tremor at the thought, are swept aside. "Oh, I am." Her teeth clamp down, as if trapping their molars, for they would very much like to fly away.

_Danville Vet hospital_

Perry's eyes flicker, he begins to hear steady beeping, in much time unperceived, his eyes open in full. Their autonomy restored...somehow. He looks around, seeing a white lab coat, a name tag as well, though, surprisingly, the words do not appear to him. Perry eyes begin to focus as keenly as possible on his command, the words on the tag becoming clearer, but still too fuzzy to warrant a guess, "Grrrr" Perry mutters out. The individual's movement becomes minimal at once. Perry hears the voice of a woman,

"you're awake. Heh, well, I must say you are one lucky platypus." She says. Perry perks up on all fours, he begins to move them one after the other, a hand comes down, stopping him abruptly.

"Oh no you don't, you're in no position to be moving little guy." The vet says. Perry starts to 'grrrr' again, when he's cut off by another voice.

"I can take him now." Doofenshmirtz says, the vet bites their lower lip, looking at Perry, then back at Doofenshmirtz. 

"I suppose, just be careful with him." She cautions.

"Usually I'm the one he needs to be careful with." He remarks, the vet dons a smile as Perry is picked up. Perry letting out a "grrr," in protest.

"Well, in that case." She says.

"Thanks for the help." Doofenshmirtz says, hauling Perry off. They soon enter the top level of a towering building–Doofenshmirtz's apartment he puts Perry on the floor.

"Now, who did that to you?" Doofenshmirtz asks.

"Grrrrr." Perry says. Doof's eyes widen.

"So...there's an evil purple alien running around Danville, and you and all the other animal agents tried to stop to no avail!? That's crazy!...Maybe I should get his number." Perry responds, "grrrrr…" Doofenshmirtz straightening out his back, almost to perfection upon hearing this, his

eyes close to falling out of his head.

"Wait...you want me...to...build you a suit? Isn't it a little late in the day to start on something like that?" Perry responds with a low growl.  
"Oh fine, I'll make you that suit. You just rest up." Perry responds to this with a most vehement "Grrrrrr…"

"No buts, you need rest." Doofenshmirtz scolds, waving his finger back and forth like one would out of concern for a child. Perry huffs, turns around, on all fours, he walks off.

_Flynn-Fletcher backyard_

The younger of the two Phineases–headphones, cushioning his ears drums–stares at the automated machinery, a burning sensation, a feeling, unmistakable, yet unknown, courses through him. The older one, having just exited the house, walks up beside him, he glances down at Phineas, then looks towards the black and yellow pairs of massive armor

"These look amazing." The older Phineas remarks.  
"I suppose." Young Phineas, says.

"You suppose?" He asks.

"They are just suits of armor..." Younger Phineas explains with the same enthusiasm possessed by a block of concrete.

"C'mon, she'll come around." Older Phineas says, tapping younger Phineas on the shoulder. Older Phineas looks something, sheltered off in the corner, with dark brown tarp over it.

"Hey, what's that?" He asks.

"You really think so?" Ignoring his question, Younger Phineas inquires. His head slumping down after he finishes. Older Phineas looking at him.

"I know so," he says. With his head, he gestures towards the older Isabella. "I know her very well, and sure, experiences differ slightly, but fundamentally they're the same." He explains.

"Hope you're right." Younger Phineas mumbles.

_Sewers beneath Danville_

Thanos stares at a giant metal wall spanning the width of the tunnel, Isabella behind him, looking at it as well.

"What is this place?" Isabella asks.  
"Divert your eyes little one, until I say otherwise." He says, ignoring her question.

"Why?" She snaps.  
"Do as I say." He commands.

"As long as you don't tell me to stay in these sewers." Isabella looks at the moist, and nature assaulted bricks, that makes up most of the sewers.

"Heh, only temporarily…" Thanos remarks, he then shouts with a punch, Isabella jumps back, the impulse taking her over for that instant–a most human reaction. The metal wall implodes and flies into the area it once secured. Isabella hears the firing of weapons, followed by muffled screams. As shortly as it begins the noise ceases. Her heart pounds violently. But she forces it to remain within her, _she's_ its master now.

She stares at the waste-water flowing over her feat, it provides as much comfort as it does for one's health to drink. Its putrid nature makes her think...but as soon as that thought shows up, Thanos's presence snuffs it out.

"It is safe now little one." He says. Isabella forces her eyes to look at the surroundings, grated walkways, a labyrinth of rooms, monitors adorning every shelf, and nearly every wall. It is as intriguing to her, as it is mind-boggling to look through. She looks to one side, seeing a bunch of people in yellow hazmat-like suits, tied up in once clump, kept together with bent metal beams. She feels her heart's tension dissipate to more manageable levels.

"What are we doing here?" Isabella asks.

"You'll see." Thanos says, looking around, while walking forward. Isabella follows close behind, looking around too, though, naively. Mesmerized by all the fancy looking science equipment. She shakes her head, snapping out of it. Looking around again with a feigned disinterest.  
"Tell me, little one, why were you wandering the streets by yourself?" Thanos asks.

"I...everyone around me is delusional. I was fed up with how blind they all are." She says in a low voice.

"Blind? In what way?" Thanos asks. Isabella perks her head up.  
"They all think it's fun and games, but I know the truth."  
"Oh yes, you've always been wise beyond your years, yet, so innocent..."

"I'm not as innocent as you think..." She snickers.

"It's not such a bad thing, innocent does not mean weak, as so many believe, it can be a strength. A man burdened by the weight of the world is not as much a threat as one who only has their goals in mind." Thanos says, he stops in his tracks, a smirk running across his face.

Isabella stops in her tracks as she sees a cube, blue with white energy freely flowing within, suspended in a cylinder.

"What is that?" Isabella asks.

"That...that is a cosmic cube. A device of immense, reality shaping power." Thanos explains in such a manner, as to insight awe in Isabella's being.

"Let me guess, only certain people can touch it?" She says.

"Oh no, that's the beauty of it, any creature with the capacity for conscious thought can use it with no harm to themselves. But it has, something of a mind of its own; it may simply choose not to grant someone's wish, just as simply as it would choose to do so. It is much like a roll of a dice." Thanos explains.

"What were they doing with it?" Isabella asks. Thanos looks down at the edge of the cylinder, runes, archaic but powerful, encircle it.

"No doubt A.I.M. desired to study it. They trapped it using magic to do so." Thanos's fist grips tight, energy manifests around it, he throws a strike, his fist pounds against the glass, sending a shockwave outwards, Isabella falls backwards. Thanos looks on at the surroundings, as the cylinder container remains unphased, Thanos looks at the runes which resonate with each other, a bright red hue visible for a brief second.

"As I figured." Thanos says as Isabella gets up.

"Well, what are you going to do about that?" She asks, patting down her outfit.

"I have a feeble grasp of magic, but sufficient enough to break through those meager protective runes. It will take a bit of time..." Thanos says, a smug smirk, that, no sane man could have in this moment, creeps upon his face with pleasant familiarity.

_Flynn-Fletcher backyard_

Phineas looks on at the various suits, color coded for everyone involved, he peers into their craftsmanship, to try to become immersed in pride, but, to no avail as his mind forces him to think a thought he wished to ignore. He lowers his head out of compulsion rather than out of will. In his head he hears the gate slamming shut, Isabella storming out of the yard, that very same gate. He dares to remember Isabella asking him, "Whatcha doin?", every day. He didn't know he missed it, she hasn't been gone that long. Her most abrupt exit, searing pain, those memories bring his body at every corner, especially his heart.

Older Phineas walks up to the older Isabella.

"He's not taking it well, babe." He tells her.

"Not surprising." She says.

"I know I wouldn't take it well if you did that. Still…" He says, looking at his younger counterpart.

"Yeah, I think his Isabella might get herself into trouble, she's in pain and likely isn't seeing reason right now." Older Isabella scoffs.

"What? Remind you too much of yourself?" He lets out a quick smile.

"Oh, why yes, I once stormed out of this very backyard with such a fuss as to leave everyone speechless." She says.

"Heh, well, given different circumstances, you would have." He says.  
"Yeah, I know too well that's the case…" Isabella looks down past her shoulders, her eyes locked in somber reflection.

"Hey, I still love you all the same." Phineas hugs her, a smile comes, with or without her permission as his arms wrap around her.

"I'm still worried about her…" Isabella says.

"Well, then, we could try the quantum entanglement headband I used to find younger me, it should work to find Isabella." Older Phineas explains.

"Sure...why not?" Her voice, like chocolate without the sugar crash to him, prompting him to immediate action. Older Phineas walks up to younger phineas, "Hey Phineas, where's the quantum entanglement headband?" He asks. Younger Phineas responds, his voice dry and mundane.

"Oh that? I took it apart and used it to enhance the neuro adaptive properties of the suits."

"Neuro-adaptive...wait, what?" Older Phineas looks at him cockeyed.

"Not to worry, we can whip us up an even better version in no time." Younger Ferb chimes in. Younger Phineas nods to this.

"Great." Older Phineas remarks.

_A.I.M. Laboratories, beneath Danville_

Thanos, focuses, looking at his right hand, which is engulfed in a swirling purple energy. He thrusts his hand forward at the runes, the energy leaps off his hand, latching on to the runes, intermingling with them, with nefarious intent.

"What was that?" Isabella inquires.  
"Think of it as a magical virus that will destabilize the protective runes." He explains.

"And that will take a while?" Isabella questions.

"It will be plenty of time. Now tell me, what are their weaknesses?" Thanos says.  
"Umm...what do you mean?" Isabella trips on her words.  
"It was amusing, and sad at the same time, to watch you struggle with your feelings towards Phineas. You judge a man, I took everything from. He only killed a few people and an unborn child...me? Ha! I've killed trillions to appease my lover. I'm infinitely worse than your Phineas, so, run to him!"

She blots it out of the facility. Thanos smirks as the frantic footsteps echo in the distance. "So long little one." Thanos remarks. He looks down at the runes, sizzling away, slowly...He looks to his left, spotting a room labeled 'weapon manufacturing', Thanos grins, he then walk to it. He looks at the door, then kicks it off its hinges with a meager usage of his leg muscles. He walks in, seeing metals in cases, with labels, everything from 'iron', to 'adamantium', and 'vibranium'.

"An alloy will be perfect…" Thanos picks up the cases of adamantium and vibranium, and gets to work.

Thanos creates a casting mold, as the metals liquify and mix in a special superheated contraption. The mold's head, massive in stature. It's blunt face, longer in width than every human chest. Thanos grips a handle on the contraption, tipping it, the metal pours into the mold. Thanos begins to speak in a tongue so ancient, even the dinosaurs would crumble into dust upon contemplating its age. As the words echo throughout the chamber, his hand becomes engulfed in red energy, which he casts into the mold with a hand thrust as the last drop of molten metal finds its place within the shape.

Thanos hears a foreign crackling coming from within the mold, the crackling ceases. The mold then bursts open, the brand new warhammer levitates in the air, an aura of cosmic energy emanating from it. Resonating the the Mad..."Titan." Thanos says, he reaches for the handle, once it's firmly in his grasp, it ceases to levitate. He lets the head drop against the metal flooring, he drags it across to the main area.

Thanos looks at the group of A.I.M. soldiers, and scientists. All he can do is grin devilishly as he lifts the warhammer up. Cosmic energy swirls around his hand, the warhammer responds with an aura of the same energy. Thanos throws the Warhammer, his yells terrify the struggling A.I.M. agents. The Warhammer crashes through them, a bloody mess springs out from the epicenter, Thanos holds his hand out, the cosmic energy causes the Warhammer to suspend itself in mid air, thrusting itself back into Thanos's hand. He smiles at the putrid mess of blood and guts, dripping down past a massive, fresh hole in the grated flooring, sprinkled throughout the lab.

_Doofenshmirtz Evil Inc _

Doofenshmirtz holds a welder in his hand, he looks at the platypus sized suit, then looks at Perry, standing beside him.  
"Well fine, since you don't want to rest anymore, you can help." Doofenshmirtz says. Looking at the dark steel plating, Perry notices a sort of energy pulsing through the small lines in the metal. Perry looks at the back of the suit, seeing a label, 'self destruct' underneath a button.

"Grrrr." He makes the noise,

"What are you doing?" Doofenshmirtz demands, as Perry grabs a spare piece of metal and the welder from Doofenshmirtz, he goes to the back of the suit, ripping the button out. He pauses briefly as a sharp sensation causes him to instinctively hold his side. Doofenshmirtz can only sigh, he walks up to Perry.

"Okay okay, I see, I see. If it will make you feel better." Doofenshmirtz grabs the piece of metal and welder from a reluctant, Perry. He fixes up a few components in the back, welding the metal on, which soon makes itself a seamless part of the suit.

"Ah, that smart metal, never gets old. So convenient too. Hop on in, give it a whirl."

Perry presses against the back, the suit recognizes his paw, it opens up and he walks in. It shuts automatically, twists and turns, the suit fully flexible, like a second skin. The HUD giving him an overview of different weapon systems.

"Well, do you like it?" Doofenshmirtz inquires. Perry gives a thumbs up.

_Flynn-Fletcher backyard_

Older Isabella dons the helmet, cushioning it on her head.

"Should work." Younger Phineas explains.

"So...how does it work?" She asks.

"Well, after I flip this switch you will be able to clearly see where Isabella is, much clearer than the previous version…" He looks at Older Phineas. "Umm..no offense." He says.

"None taken." Older Phineas responds.

"Alright, now I'm up." She says.

"Alright, 3...2...1!" Younger Phineas flips the switch, older Isabella's eyes roll back into her head, her eyelids shut, she goes still, as if frozen in place.

Older Isabella sees a familiar fence, being looked at, and swiftly being approached.

"Alright that's it." Younger Phineas says, pulling the switch back. Older Isabella throws the helmet off.

"That…" She begins to say.

"Are you okay?" Older Phineas runs up to her.

"Yeah, yeah, it's just…" Her voice breaks intermittently, her forehead aching like it was hit by a sledgehammer, she rubs it in attempt to soothe it.

"Don't mean to rush you, but did you happen to see some kind of cube?" Older Phineas inquires hastily. Isabella looks at him with a tilted head, and a gaze of concern and uncertainty.

"What?" She asks.

"When I tried the prototype, I was presented with the image of some hovering cube, almost as if it were reaching out to me, then the headband worked properly and I found Phineas." He explains.

"So, do you know where Isabella is?" Younger Phineas butts in.

"Your machine did a number on me. As for Isabella, yeah, but it was weird, almost as if..." The gate opens, everyone instantly turns their heads to look in the direction. They all see Isabella standing there, she breathes heavily, looking around, drained.

"I…" Her voice begins to be heard. But Phineas rushes over to her, and interrupts with a desperate voice.

"I just wanted to say sorry…" His voice as rushed as his heart is fast.

"What? No, I am the one who has to apologize to everyone, especially you Phineas..." His heart warms, though he's not specifically aware of it.

"That's alright, all's forgiven, I even got something special for you!" Phineas grabs her arm, her heart flutters, and he stops at the dark brown tarp. Its edges draping, smothering the grass. He grips the tarp with both his hands, yanking it off. Everyone's eyes widen, especially Younger Isabella, caught in a whirl storm of her emotions. A white metal suit, shaped to Isabella, , the receding sun making it glisten. A few lines spread from the center of the chest piece, to all over the suit pure energy, pink in color, flowing through them.

"It's, it's beautiful!" She clasps her hands together, almost squeaking incessantly.  
"Oh it's much more than meets the eye, that pink energy you see in the center, is a mix between fluid and pure energy, like the rest of the suits, it's neuro adaptive. In other words...at will, you can create energy constructs of whatever you imagine." He says hyperly. She puts her hands together, pulling them close to her chest, her whole being encased in an invisible shield of adoration.

"Thanos will certainly have his hands full next time he decides to mess with us!" He exclaims, looking her way.

"Um...speaking of, He's after something called a cosmic cube and I'm pretty sure we don't have too much time left."

Older Phineas walks closer as the younger Phineas looks on in confusion, the rest of the gang listening as though it was their whole world.

"How do you know?" Phineas's heart compresses, and pushes out.  
"This must be related." The clamoring of the crowd making her feel as though she's drowning in water.

"How do you know?" Younger Phineas's voice clear as crystal.

"I...went with him." The utterance of this draws all sound from the crowd into the void.

"YOU WHAT?!" Phineas yells with the force of nearly breaking his vocal cord.

"I said I was sorry! Okay! It was a mistake, I shouldn't have been mad at you!" She shouts.  
"That was what this was all about?! C'mon that is so not fair!" He yells. Isabella puts her arms closer to her, a soulful yet fruitless attempt to grant herself some comfort.

"I wasn't going to betray you, I was just angry at the time."

"So!? It's the principle of the thing!"

"Phineas I…" Isabella begin to speak.

"Save it, we'll talk later." He begins to walk off.

"No!" She shouts, thrusting her finger at him. He hunches over, looking over his shoulder, at her. "You'll listen to what I have to say, right now!" She passionately thrusts her finger down.

Phineas gives in, "Fine." She walks up to him, close.

"I know I hurt your feelings, I know I messed up and I know I did things that I should never have done, I am sorry. If you don't want to forgive me, fine, but please try to understand. I...look, I overreacted, far over reacted, I am sorry, in reality, I betrayed you and it makes me sick to think I did that, but I did, I did it to you. I am sorry. I was angry at you, it was stupid of me to be, but I was just so overwhelmed with everything, I snapped. And I did things I shouldn't of." She pours her feelings out from her core. Phineas's knees become weak, almost like jello. To him, she has a way of breaking through even the hardest of barriers, though, he's not sure why.

"Isabella, I…" He, and everyone else there collapse onto the ground, a shockwave splinters the fence and several parts of the house. Everyone diverts their attention, seeing a beam shoot up into the sky, turning the clouds in the vicinity, dark as the abyss.

"What's that?" Younger Phineas asks.

"That's where the amusement park is." Baljeet points out. Younger Phineas rubs his hands together.

"Alright, Stacy and Ginger, get in your suits and join up, same goes for both you Bufords, and Baljeets, as well as the Candaces...don't worry, it will be as smooth as riding a bike! Isabellas, join up. Phineas and Ferb from earth two will get in that one." He points to the bigger of the two Beak suits. "And Ferb and I will suit up." They rush over to their suits. Phineas hops climbs in the top. "Ready, Ferb?" He asks.

"Always." Ferb responds.

They look towards the growing darkness's epicenter, its blackness nearly reaching the neighborhood.  
"What even is that?" Stacy says.

"No time to think about that sis." Ginger says.  
"Okay okay…" Suddenly, they all fall to the ground as another shockwave whips them.

"We got to get over there now!" Phineas says, his older self, nods amongst himself. They all get up, Ginger, Stacy, the two Candaces, the Two Bufords, the Two Baljeets, the two Ferbses, the two Isabellas and both the Phineases. They stare on, some more hesitant than others to make that leap most necessary, but this night, all will make the leap, including Perry–for the fight of their lives, begins.


	5. Chapter 5

**This is the final chapter for P&F: The Thanos Imperative. My next story will not be a sequel to this, but it will be the one I work on after my next story. If you like it, or don't, leave a review that helps a ton. I strive to work on my craft and every little bit of information helps me greatly. So, without further ado, ENJOY!**

Chapter 5

Everyone takes to the pitch-black sky above. Its abyss-like property project itself, now across the entirety of Danville. Everyone's minds focus on one thing, success, some feign confidence, whilst others own it like a foregone conclusion. Everyone stops, hovering high, just beyond the boundaries of the amusement park. A large variety of monolithic attractions, most notably, a giant roller coaster, span the park.

The younger Phineas spots an unmistakable figure below, looming amongst the chaos, in a relaxed manner. "Phineas, Ferb, set thrusters to max power. Let's give him a surprise!" Thanos, a distance off, sits on raised concrete that sticks out of the ground like a cancerous growth. Thanos stares at the ground, he hears a sonic boom in the distance, he raises his head, only to be smashed into the ground, pavement rocketing out from the impact zone.

'Titan'—his, Warhammer—plummets to the ground at an arc. A soft thud, not indicative of its weight, is all that is produced upon its impact with the ground. At once, Thanos rises to his feet, a supersonic strike knocks him back down. A laser beam from the Older Phineas and Ferb bombards Thanos as he tries to stand up once more.

From behind, a stream of laser fire from the younger Phineas and Ferb's suit staggers him. A pink energy rope, pulls Thanos down at the neck. Both the Isabellas, blast Thanos with an energy beam. Thanos gets to his knees, he reaches his hand out, his groaning becoming fiercer than a bear. "Watch out!" Younger Phineas exclaims, the Warhammer makes impact with the older Phineas and Ferb, whom get knocked halfway across the fairgrounds. 'Titan' returns to its master's hand. Thanos gets up, raising it high, it begins to pulsate, a burst of cosmic energy sends the others flying back, the tremendous energy, enough to knock them out. The rest of the gang fly in at Thanos.

The Baljeets fly-in at Thanos, he catches them, and throws them through a stand. The Bufords throw a colossal punch that connects with Thanos's chin. As they come back around, Thanos's Warhammer greats them, careening against their chin, they're sent hurtling sky-bound. The Baljeets get up, morphing the suit's fists into maces, they energize them, then fly at Thanos.

Two swings at his face, sparks flying off his helmet. They make a return, the massive Warhammer ending it, slamming down on top of them, they're sent plummeting to the ground. Thanos's Warhammer lights up with cosmic energy and crashes down upon them again, the suit slightly splinters. Thanos slams down the energized Warhammer once more, pieces of the suit break off.

The Baljeets separate at once, scattering across the battlefield. The Candaces swoop in low, the bo-staff striking Thanos in the face. With older Candace in charge, they go low, the bo-staff slamming against Thanos's foot. A swift strike to the knee follows, then a swipe up, every fiber of muscle and every inch of the suit driving the staff forward. They strike the chin, Thanos's head jolts back, they go in for a strike to the side of the face. Thanos catching it, he headbutts them, they're sent flying back, the bo-staff ripped from their hands. The Candaces crash into the bottom frame of a rollercoaster. Thanos grips the bo-staff at both ends, and with a fiery yell he snaps it in half.

Stacy and Ginger crash the feet of the suit against Thanos's back, engaging the thrusters, they blast off, Thanos's attention is drawn to the ground as a piece of semi-liquefied metal clangs. At this revelation, Thanos smirks. "Nice job sis." Ginger remarks.

"It was your idea," Stacy says. Thanos thrusts his warhammer forward, blasting them out of the sky. Thanos lets out a laugh, then is rocked by a supersonic punch. The older Phineas and Ferb engage him, head-on. The Bufords come in with massive hammer-shaped fists, striking Thanos at every slip of the head reaction that's prompted by Older Phineas and Ferb's onslaught.

As the Bufords come in with a hook punch, they're blasted away by beams from Thanos's eyes. Older Phineas and Ferb continue to blast him, striking at him in-between each one. Thanos grabs hold of the helmet, Phineas's face right behind it. Thanos squeezes with every inch of muscle fiber available. Phineas starts to scream, the suit's head folding inwards ever slowly.

Thanos lets out a monstrous yell, Phineas's heart nearly leaps out of his chest as the lights begin to fade as his room for movement in any capacity ceases.

Older Ferb separates, then charges in at Thanos, a mere pest, he is kicked away, Thanos resumes crushing the helm. Older Phineas tries to gasp for air, but none is found as the walls keep closing in. Thanos growls as he comes ever closer, his eyes focused on the prey.

"Someone help!" Older Phineas cries. The Older Isabella's attention drawn to the sound. She separates from the unconscious younger Isabella. Her heart almost drives itself out of her, her fists clenched tightly, as she rises up, taking a step forward, she stops in her tracks.

A small figure, barely visible from a distance–Perry–swoops in, striking the back of Thanos's left leg with enough force that it gives out, he then goes for a rocket-assisted uppercut which staggers Thanos. Perry grabs the helmet and throws it off. He returns with the swiftest drop atop Thanos's head, which knocks Thanos off his feet. Perry drops few objects at Thanos's face. Thanos hears an incessant beeping, Perry grabs a hold Phineas, flying away as an explosion goes off that rocks the very foundation of the ground Thanos lays on.

"Grrrrr." Perry says, looking at the Older Phineas.

"Thanks for the save, I'll be with you in a sec, go get him." Older Phienas says, as his suit's helmet begins to form back to a comfortable shape. Perry's suit makes a compressing sound as he nods. Perry looks behind him, seeing Thanos turning himself over, beginning to slowly rise to his feet. Older Isabella launches herself at him, he doesn't even look at her, grabbing her and slamming her to the ground. His eyes turn to her downed self. He slams his foot down, her armor withstands the blow.

"I don't know why you've come here, but your story ends here." Thanos plants one foot on her chest, out of the corner of his eye, he sees Perry flying in. His right fist energizes, he rotates his torso, then lets out a blast, which knocks Perry back a considerable distance.

Thanos presses down with his foot, the ground below Isabella, giving out. He points a fist at her, as it energizes. The cosmic energy erupts outwards, blast Older Isabella in the face continuously. Thanos smirks as a part of the helmet starts to liquefy. He stops blasting her, instead, he grips 'titan' with both hands, it charges with cosmic energy. Isabella throws her hands over her face, looking away. She hears laser blasts, looking forward, younger Ferb blasting Thanos.

Thanos goes for an uppercut, Ferb dodges it and blasts Thanos once more.

"Tickles." Thanos says, gripping his energized Warhammer tight, he slams it down towards the ground, Ferb catching it mid slam, thrusters giving him as much leverage as possible. Thanos simply smiles and blasts Ferb into the ground. A thunderous boom shakes the ground, but not from the blast, Thanos looks over at the beam that reaches up into the sky. Glowing brighter than ever before, the cosmic cube rises, stopping in the middle of the beam.

"Finally." Thanos walks methodically towards the cube. Ferb launches himself at Thanos, Thanos simply points his Warhammer and blasts Ferb away. Ginger and Stacy fly in, Thanos's Warhammer sending them crashing down. Pieces of their armor sprinkling the ground.

"Remember us!?" The Bufords launch at Thanos, their fists mallet shaped. After a successful strike, they split up, younger Buford goes low, a strike to the knee, older Buford strikes the back of the head.

"We'll show you!" Younger Buford exclaims with a laugh, just before being kicked back. Thanos shouts, swinging his Warhammer, striking Older Buford through several concession stands before coming to a stop beneath a Ferris wheel.

Thanos takes one step up a mound of ground, one step closer to the fulfillment of his personal mission. The younger Isabella, awake and ready, lands in front of him. She looks up at him, a pink energy rope held by her hands at both ends.

"No more watching from the sidelines as you fade into dust, you'll die by my hands this time!" Thanos shouts, advancing quickly.

"You can try!" She exclaims, launching up, wrapping the energy cord around Thanos's neck, pulling as hard as she can at a downwards angle. Thanos laughs, she looks behind, at his back, looking down she notices the aura of the warhammer, spread to the entirety of Thanos.

"You have a fire in you, little one. But with your simple mind you'll never know just how much potential you have." His slow steps stop, he reaches his hand out for the cube, his fingertips graze the edge as his smile becomes absolute.

Isabella scrambles to pull him down, her hands gripping the material energy tightly. Older Phineas rams into Thanos's hand, causing Thanos's fingertips to jolt back. He scrambles to grip Thanos anywhere, trying to push back. His blasts do not affect Thanos. He glances down at the Warhammer ever so briefly, seeing that aura.

"Isabella grab his weapon!" He shouts.

Without a second of hesitation, Isabella releases the energy cord. She grabs onto Titan's alloy surface with all her might, it doesn't move. Its movements are nothing. She uses her thrusters to no avail. Arriving next to her, the Younger Phineas joins in on trying to separate Titan from its owner. Both the Ferbs, the Candaces, the Baljeets, the Bufords, Stacy and Ginger, and finally, Perry. All of them pull back, not as mere individuals fighting against an unstoppable force, but as one that makes anything possible, any day of the week, no matter how impossible, or unworthy. And so, with their combined forces, the hammer is ripped from the Mad Titan's grasp.

Perry takes it, he flies out to the water past the peer, an aura of cosmic energy forms around Titan, dragging it and Perry back. Perry lowers himself as much as possible, planting his webbed feet against the stone of the harbor. Water splashing against the suit as waves become more and more chaotic and unpredictable, pulled in by Titan's sheer force. In this chaos, Perry has a thought, he uses his beak to press a button on his nearly completely scrambled HUD, though its name is not clear, the purpose is. From the wrist of the suit, a singular object comes out and attaches itself to the Warhammer. Perry presses with his beak again, and the device activates. Perry releases his grip on the Warhammer, despite the aura, it sinks to the bottom of the harbor. Perry breaths out, a sigh of relieved tension is let out.

Thanos punches both the Ferbs away, slamming both the Baljeets hard into the ground. Younger Candace swiped away, with older Candace dodging several of Thanos's strikes, before she rises too early and is caught by a hook. Younger Buford is kicked away. The two Phineases merge, morphing the hands of the suit together, coming down atop the helmetless Thanos. Phineas's come down again, Thanos smirks as he goes down on one knee. Isabella flies up, coming back down, with an energized fist, striking Thanos. His head jolting to the side as both Phineases come down again.

Thanos goes to throw a punch, the Phineases separate, causing Thanos to punch air. Isabella flies in from the side as Thanos takes a step forward, she strikes him, he catches her by the leg as she flies past, younger Phineas flies up from underneath with an uppercut blast. Thanos lets go of Isabella's leg, the older Phineas plants his feet on Thanos's chest, jetting off from there. A small part of the armor falling onto the ground, semi-liquefied. Older Phineas comes back around.

Thanos prepares for it, eyeing Older Phineas as he comes in. From behind, younger Isabella and Younger Phineas blast the back of Thanos's knees. Thanos falls to his knees and is struck in the face by older Phineas with a mace-like fist. It returns to normal, he aims up to blast Thanos, but Thanos grabs him, looking at both younger Isabella and younger Phineas, they are downed by lasers from his eyes.

"How does it feel?" Thanos asks.

"How does what feel?" Older Phineas groans as he kicks with his legs.

"Losing a child?" Thanos growls, a slow, steady smirk rises across his face. Older Phineas becomes red in the face, with sweat forcing its way out of his forehead, his heart beating even faster.

"What are you talking about!?" Older Phineas groans.

"Well, I'm afraid I was a bit rough with your Isabella earlier, I don't think it will make it." Thanos mocks with a devilish chuckle. Older Phineas forms a blade that extends long, he thrusts it at Thanos, whom grips it, a small trickle of blood coming from his hand. Thanos uses a tiny bit of cosmic power to power his twist, snapping the blade off. Thanos smiles wide as he Drives it through Older Phineas's stomach. Thanos tossing him off to the side with but one hand. Perry returns to see this.

"So easily fooled," Thanos says with a chuckle. Older Phineas looks at him through the suit's helmet. Strength fades as his head drops against the ground. Thanos takes a few steps closer to the cosmic cube. He reaches his hand out, everyone in the vicinity rises to witness this. Perry points his wrist out, HUD showing a charge level of maximum. He launches a disk at Thanos, it lands on the skin of the neck. It pulsates with waves that wreak havoc on his nervous system, causing Thanos to freeze like a mere stump.

Almost everyone joins in for a massive blast, Thanos blacks out, falling to the ground. Perry flies down to Older Phineas.

"Grrrr…" He says softly, pulling pulls the blade out not a moment later, and gives a fine pointed laser to the entry and exit wounds, cauterizing them. Perry smiles or does what constitutes a smile for him. Everyone gathers around the older Phineas. Older Ferb and Older Isabella help him up to his feet, supporting him. They all gather around the unconscious Thanos, they look at the cosmic, cube, it pulsates, before disappearing, the beam dissipates and the weather returns to normal, stars visibly adorning the tranquil night sky.

"What should we do with him?" Younger Phineas asks. Younger Ferb looks at his brother, an idea sparking in his head.

"I know of a place…" He says.

_Raft Prison Facility_

Thanos's eyes flutter open, he groans, sitting up. He sees an energy field and a translucent casing before him. He spots the older Phineas standing, alone, staring at him.

"Where are the others?" Thanos inquires in his deep voice traveling through speakers to reach Phineas.

"I asked for some alone time with you."

"Hmmm…," Thanos grumbles.

"What you said back there…"

"You're still caught up in that? Maybe I misjudged you..." Thanos sighs. "Or maybe, I should have ripped you in half!" Phineas scoffs at this, his eyes gazing upon Thanos like a savage animal.

"Why me? Do you even have a reason?" Phineas snickers.

"It used your younger counterpart, but his childhood still holds him. But you, you're the spitting image of _him_." Thanos voice growing even deeper than the abyss at the utterance of 'him'.

"Of who?...Oh..." Phineas says.

"You've aged significantly, you grasp more of the world than your eight-year-old counterpart. Your little run-in with death, that's just like a brushstroke upon a fine canvas. The final project isn't about you though...but I assure you it will be finished. You might even see the results."

"What are you on about?" Older Phineas lips curl with every utter of a word.

"You'll see...The results will speak for themselves." Thanos smirks. Older Phineas huffs out of there, everyone else looks at him with soft eyes.

"What?" He perks up, putting on an act. Older Isabella looks at him with the weight of a large planet, if that planet consisted of pure sorrow.

"Nothing." Younger Phineas assures him.

_Flynn-Fletcher backyard_

The sun shines brightly in the sky, as younger Phineas flips a switch, soon after, an oval mass of energy appears, confined within a frame.

"You're all set to go. And Thank you." Younger Phineas says. Older Phineas and the rest of them turn to him, and everyone else.

"You're welcome." Older Phineas says. They turn back and walk closer to the portal.

"Come by and visit sometime!" Younger Isabella exclaims.

"We'll try." Older Isabella chuckles. They walk through the portal, younger Phineas flips the lever once more. The device shuts off. A few seconds later it is struck by a beam and vanishes, all of them witnessing it. They blink of a few times.

"Eh, they were all right." Buford shrugs.

"Come on, time to go home Ginger," Stacy says. They both leave. Everyone in the backyard soon hears a car pull up in the driveway. Phineas looks at Candace.

"Well, you gonna do it?" He smiles.

"Very funny. Next time though." Candace chuckles, then smiles.

"That was quite eventful," Ferb says.

"I'd say, never felt my hair grey faster," Baljeet says, he looks at Buford. "Do you see any?" He asks.

"Nah…" Buford responds

"Oh, phew." Baljeet sighs.

"Now that you mention it, your hair is as white as snow!" Baljeet snaps his hands to his head.

"No no no!" Baljeet exclaims, Buford begins laughing hysterically.

"You fell for it! Ha!" Buford points at him.

"Oh very funny." Baljeet snaps.

"Yeah...I thought so." Buford stops smiling.

They all watch Linda–Phineas, Candace, and Ferb's mother–walk in through the backyard gate.

"See everyone's doing good." She says.

"Oh, it's almost like they don't need us." Laurence–Phineas, Candace, and Ferb's father, smiles. The two of them enter the house. Isabella happens to glance down at the ground, Perry laying there, with no bandage on his side, minding his own business.

"Oh, there you are Perry." She says. Linda pokes her head out the door to the house, "does anybody want some pie?" She asks.

"Oh, we most certainly do," Phineas says. They all walk in.

They sit down at the table, all engaging in a variety of conversation. Phineas looks at Isabella. "Isabella, I just want you to know, I don't hold anything against you." Her manner turns coy, she slightly leans away.

"Oh. Well, I'm glad." She laughs sheepishly.

"I am too. I mean, why even have friends if you're not willing to forgive them? Still...I'm just...sad. For the first time really, I feel as if something has been stripped away. I don't know what. It's like, layers are unpeeling when before, they weren't. Make any sense?" Isabella leaning in, with every facet of her being devoted to listening to his plight.

"Well, a lot has happened, I'm just glad you're by my side, whatever is bothering you, we'll figure it out...together." She says.

"Thanks, Isabella," Phineas says. The pie arrives, placed delicately on the table before they all viciously dig into its steamy, fresh-baked goodness.

_Mephisto's realm_

Mephisto walks slowly, a pentagram designed and molded into the essence of the fiery, hellish ground beneath him. "So…" His voice echoing throughout every corner in earshot of an individual. "He betrayed me..." A figure lets out a scream that carries for miles and with the force of a megaton bomb.

"Who?" The figure asks, with every inch of his material voice as painful to manifest as hot metal rods being pushed through bone.

"Thanos." The figure darts his head up to stare at Mephisto with damned determined eyes at the utterance of that name.

"Oh yes, I did let him free, he promised me absolute power, but Blackheart tells me, he failed to deliver. And that is not something I will tolerate" Mephisto looms over the individual, his presence more impactful than the weight of a thousand worlds.

"Now, I look upon the one person stands to bring me vengeance…" Mephisto lets out what can only be described as demonic crackling.

"What say you...bring Thanos's soul back here...and you go free...Phineas Flynn…" Still in his full black and yellow suit, Phineas tries to squirm but can't find a way to move.

"I'll...do it!" Phineas shouts, every inch of his body pulsates with energy, then a scream, his body continues to pulsate, with each revolution, the screams grow louder. The last thing he hears is Mephisto laughing in delight.

_Flynn-Fletcher backyard_

A portal opens, Phineas flails his arms, he falls flat against the ground. His helmet recedes. He looks around, a pristine yard. He stretches his arm, his suit's right hand covering recedes, his hand landing against the grass, he grips it gently. He hears the sounds of crickets chirping. His breathing heavy, he slowly gets up, a single tear almost falling down his face. He looks slowly behind him, seeing the house, his head is struck from the inside a million times over in the span of a millisecond.

His heart pounds, it aches, knowing what ground he stands on. The allure is swept away, his hand is recovered and his helmet reforms. He screams, tears protrude from his eyes at all corners. A light appears in the house, Phineas stares from his bedroom window, seeing nothing. He feels a slight rumbling come over the house, but it dissipates quickly. He stares at the ceiling, waiting for the disturbance to come back, after some time passes, he turns off the lamp on his nightstand and goes back to bed.


End file.
